DARAAN
\104-10326-10073 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |

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{MEFNOY 98-0748996 oe PAGE: 1

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ACTION: CE/WUMB (276) INFO: CE/LGL, CEDORECORD, DC/CE, DCCE/OPS, LIMITED,
MDSX, ODPD, ORMS/CE, PCS/CAB, FILE, C/PCS, CB/W, CED/CIC (4/M) 0

| 98 0748996 ? _ ~\ pace 001 an SIN 0748996 2 —-\
- TOR: 0613352 MAR 98 ". MNSK 17622__

| Secret 0613322 MAR 98 STAFF

CITE 2 MINSK 17622 > -

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| TO: * DIRECTOR. °

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| FOR: LIMIT DISSEM CB/WUMB- INFO cE/W, CED/CIC, BCS/CAB, “Dec#/ors, ,
| DC/CE, CE/LGL ff . an

\ SLUGS: WNINTED, “JYVAPOROUS

te ; .
*SUBJECT: BKGB “ACCESS - ‘SUPPORT ‘TO USG<ASSASS INATION>RECORD REVIEW
BOARD

yy REF: NONE.

TEXT:
a 1. ACTION REQUIRED: PLEASE SEE BELOW; “TRACES: ‘ON Y SUBIS IN PARA. 7
5; GUIDANCE ON ARRB-BKGB ACCESS REQUEST.
2. ON MORNING 6 MAR 98 POLECON_OFFICER AND DCM MET wrrrCos) To
ALERT HIM TO POSSIBLE NEED FOR‘ STATION, SUPPORT TO FACILITATE FUTURE
MEETING(S) WITH BKGB BY EMBASSY “OR OTHER USG PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN
x*FOLLOWUP INQUERIES ON BEHALF OF USG’S<ASSASSINATION>RECORD REVIEW
BOARD (ARRB). ARRB IS CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED AND FUNDED BODY
*LOOKING AT ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO<ASSASSINATION>OF PRESIDENT<JOHN>
*F.<KENNEDY.> OF INTEREST IN MINSK ARE RECORDS HELD BY THE BKGB
*RELATED TO<LEE HARVEY OSWALD>AND THE TIME HE SPENT HERE. ARRB
APPARENTLY WANTS COPIES OF ALL THESE BKGB RECORDS TO MAKE THEM
AVAILABLE FOR SCHOLARLY REVIEW AND RESEARCH PURPOSES.

3. PRR POLECON OFFICER, THE ARRB CHAIRMAN (A RESPECTED RETIRED
FEDERAL JUDGE.)__HAD REPORTEDLY MADE INQUERIES HERE IN OCTOBER 1996, AT
WHICH TIME. STATION HAD, WITH HQS CONCURRENCE, FACILITATED BKGB
MEETINGS (BUT (STATION: WAS APPARENTLY DIRECTED BY HQS TO AVOID ALL
OTHER INVOLVEMENT). BKGB TOOK REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE DOCUMENTS
UNDER REVIEW, BUT NO DOCUMENTS WERE EVER PROVIDED. WHEN PRESSED,
BKGB SAID THEY WOULD ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, BUT THEIR "PRIVACY
LAWS" WOULD NOT LET THEM RELEASE RECORDS WHICH RELATE TO LIVING
BELARUSSIANS (PER POLECON, THIS SPEFICALLY INCLUDED OSWALD'S FORMER
WIFE, MARINA). ARRB PRESENTED LENGTHY LIST OF DETAILED, LEGALISTIC,
AND (WHAT POLECON OFFICER, HERSELF A LAWYER, DESCRIBED AS) ONEROUS
QUERTES. BKGB NEVER RESPONDED.

SE Tv


13-00000

4. EMBASSY UNDERSTOOD THAT LEGISLATIVE MANDATE FOR ARRB HAD
EXPIRED IN FALL 1997, SO DID NOT FOLLOWUP FURTHER. HOWEVER, MANDATE
WAS APPARENTLY EXTENDED TO FALL 1998, AND ARRB’S INTEREST IN BKGB
INFORMATION HAS BEEN REACTIVATED. ARRB TEAM MAY WISH TO COME TO
MINSK TO TRY AGAIN TO OBTAIN THESE RECORDS FROM BKGB, OR AT LEAST GET
EMBASSY TO REVITALIZE EFFORTS TO DO SO.
5. FOR THE RECORD (AND HOS TRACES), AT THE TIME OF THE ARRB’S
: OCT 1996 MEETINGS WITH BKGB, ARRB MET PRINCIPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING
al BKGB OFFICIALS:

-- ALEKSANDR ((VERAS)), HEAD OF SECTION (NFI)
: -- LEV ((PIMENAU)), HEAD OF SECTION (NFI)
; -- ALEKSANDR ({(ABLAMEIKA)), PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT.

AT SOME POINT DURING MEETINGS THEY WERE JOINED BY:

~~ GENNADIY ((NARKEVICH)) (PHONETIC), A DEPUTY
CHAIRMAN, BKGB. (THIS IS ALMOST CERTAINLY
IDEN.)

REQUEST HQS TRACES ON FOUR BKGB OFFICERS ABOVE.

6. COMPLICATING ALL THIS IS FACT THAT AT SOME POINT, AUTHOR
NORMAN MAILER (APPARENTLY WITH EMBASSY ACCESS ASSISTANCE) WAS GIVEN
ACCESS TO. (SOME/ALL? OF) THE BKGB‘S OSWALD RECORDS, WHICH MAILER
REFERS TO EXTENSIVELY IN HIS BOOK "“OSWALDS_TALE: AN AMERICAN
MYSTERY," PUBLISHED—IN_1995 .. CAFTER THE FACT, PER_POLECON OFFICER,
BKGB REALIZED THAT MAILER MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROFITS FROM THIS BOOK, »
AND THAT THE BKGB. HAD “GOTTEN NOTHING.FOR “PROVIDING-.ACCESS~TO-THEIR |
RECORDS, _THUS THEY REPORTEDLY FELT THEY _HAD BEEN CHEATED . ae

7. BALL IS NOW IN STATE’S COURT, BUT THEY AND EMBASSY EXPECT

THAT REQUEST WILL BE FORTHCOMING FROM ARRB IN NEAR FUTURE, AND THENCE |
<to | STATION,» TO FACILITATE MEETINGS WITH BKGB ON THIS MATTER. TO. BE A*
(prt ? AHEAD OF * THE CURVE, REQUEST HOS GUIDANCE AND AUTHORIZATION _KS TNs

\

/ APPROPRIATE. ~70T TT —— - i

1

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Lo 8. FILE: 227-002-001; 201-1482358. DECL ON: Xl. CL REASON: |
7 2-5 (C) ., CL -BYs--.0702653. DRV HUM 4-82...--—— -- ———=----- a

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